Alison, Day # 6: Stand Up.

There's a wall along 34th Street in Gainesville, Florida. It spans a length easily matching a couple city blocks and when it was built I'm sure it was beautifully pure concrete. As the years have gone on, several generations of artists have traveled from destinations near and far to paint this wall.

Tributes, congratulations, celebrations, memorials, protests, exhaltations, announcements -- the wall has seen it all. And today, the only difference from the very first day someone scrawled their signature across a fresh, concrete canvas is several layers of paint.

Painting the 34th Street wall is not only legal, it's encouraged. It's praised and if it's good enough, it even makes the morning paper. Grafitting the 34th Street wall is a symbol of Gainesville patriotism and hat-tippage.

You tip your hat to the gracious and glorious city? Paint it on the wall.
You want to wish your best friend slash roommate a happy birthday? There's no greater gift than to see your name painted seven feet tall on the 34th Street wall -- a wall you know half the city will have seen by mid day.

This photographed section of mural struck me powerful because of three simple lines in the top right quadrant (one of which has been halfway painted through):

Stand Up.
Speak Out.
Strike Back.

Is this political? Maybe. Is it a cry against racism? Perhaps.

The bottom line is, whatever it meant to the painter doesn't matter. These three lines are one of the universal truths that goes so unsaid it is sometimes regrettably forgotten. Too often we turn a blind eye, forget where we came from, or neglect to get up after we've been knocked down.

Driving down 34th and seeing those three lines could change the life of a person, could change the mind of a beaten woman or a unjustly treated minority. Those three lines bring me to ask myself, if I don't stand up, speak out, and strike back, who will?

(also, BIG hello and cheers to our three newest members -- Liz, Sarah-Jo, and Robby. All three posted just before me. Be sure to check out their photos. I know first hand these three have a lot to bring to the blog! I'm so proud of everyone for their contributions. Keep them flowing, friends!)